Any Geneva II agreement should be guaranteed by UN Mission: Turkey FM

ADANA, Turkey, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said Sunday that any possible agreement to be reached in the upcoming Geneva II conference on Syrian crisis should be guaranteed by a UN Mission in Syria.

"If parties reach an agreement during the Geneva II, the UN should be on the ground after taking a UN Security Council decision to control and monitor the (implementation of) the deal, so that integrity of Syria would be ensured," Davutoglu told reporters during his visit to Turkey's southern Adana province.

The Geneva II conference could only be successful, if a transitional government having full executive power in Syria is established, the minister contended, adding that the international community should also adopt a "determined attitude that would impose measures on the ground if necessary."

"A UN peace mission in Syria is necessary in order to end clashes and prevent parties from violating the agreement," he concluded.

On Jan. 14, Turkey's President Abdullah Gul said that his country should readjust its Syrian policy according to the current situation, local Hurriyet Daily News website reported.

"A collective mind, dialogue and empathy are the keys to resolving both domestic and international issues. Hence, I think we should re-calibrate our diplomacy and security policies on Syria given the facts in the south of our country..." said Gul while addressing Turkish ambassadors and top ministers such as Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu who convened in Ankara for an annual conference.

UNITED NATIONS, Jan. 18 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon Saturday welcomed the Syrian opposition's agreement to take part in next week's international conference in Switzerland to seek an end to Syria conflict.

In a statement issued here by his spokesperson, Ban said the decision was "a courageous and historic step in the interest of a negotiated political solution to a three-year conflict that has caused so much misery and destruction."Full story

ISTANBUL, Jan. 18 (Xinhua) -- Syria's main opposition bloc, the Syrian National Coalition (SNC), announced here it would attend the Geneva II peace conference after holding a secret vote on its participation on Saturday.

SNC said that 58 out of the 75 members voted in favor of the bloc's presence at the peace talks, 14 voted against it, two abstained and one cast a blank ballot. Full story